Fagua

The heel of my foot tapped underneath the table as I stirred my iced tea with the straw. Every time the bell over the diner chimed, I glanced up, waiting for my mom.

Yet, I had no idea if she would show. Or if it would be my father and his goons. I had sent her a cryptic text to meet me here and now my conscience was screaming at me that this might be a bad idea. I couldn't tell Sky or Winter, as they'd never have agreed to this. Instead of feeling free and loved as I had first been with them, I felt trapped like I had when I was stuck in SmallHeath. My fingers brush my necklace, the one Husk, Winter, and Sky had charmed to help me break through the magical spell that kept me from leaving my hometown despite the many times I had tried on my own before.

A man with a bushy beard entered the cafe, and I went back to my watered-down iced tea.

"Need anything, hun?" the waitress asked me for the second time.

"No, thanks, I'm good." I smiled back, silently promising I'd leave her a big tip w